OnTheWight has learned that Wootton Bridge will need to be repaired after cracks were detected during a routine inspection.
It’s currently unclear how long any closure might last.
Considerable impact
Wootton Bridge is a vital route to/from the Wightlink’s Fishbourne ferry terminal as well as between the anything from the middle or West of the Island to/from Ryde and beyond.
Any required closure during repair works or restriction in what kind of vehicle could use it could have a considerable impact on Islanders, visitors and companies doing business on the Island.
The timing is obviously not good, as we enter the Summer holiday season, but cannot be helped as the crack has just been detected and the repairs must be carried out.
No details from council/Island Roads today
This afternoon OnTheWight asked both the Isle of Wight council and Island Roads what type of vehicles would be restricted from using the bridge. Both passed up the opportunity to comment, stating the council would respond tomorrow.
As the official sources have not commented this evening, all OnTheWight can bring you is the rumoured information – which is that it’s going to become subject to 7.5 ton weight limit.
We’ll know more when the council or Island Roads decide to officially comment.
Alternative routes
As Wootton Bridge is the only crossing of the Creek, the nearest option to cross is Havenstreet Main Road, some way south. Beyond that the next nearest is, The Downs Road, near the Garlic farm.
Havenstreet is a sleepy little village that would have considerable trouble in coping with the amount of traffic that currently uses Wootton Bridge
Here’s what the OnTheWight reader who sent in the tip said:
Thinking of the amount of traffic, buses, coaches, lorries etc that will be forced to go via Ryde / Brading / Lake to get to Ferries Towns the ‘wrong side’, all in peak holiday time, extra transport costs involved due to extra time & fuel etc, and so on.
Image: Simon Haytack under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license
